Tape dispenser



A ril 11, 1967 v H. F. HANSCOM 3,313,194

TAPE DISPENSER Filed Oct. 23, 1965 INVENTOR.

HARRIS F. HANSCOM ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,313,194 TAPE DEPENSER Harris F. Hanscom, Ban'ington, R.'I., assignor to H. F. fifanscom & Company, Inc., a corporation of Rhode Is and Filed Oct. 23, 1965, Ser. No. 503,611 4 Claims. (Cl. 83-568) This invention relates to a device for dispensing tape such as reinforced plastic tape or any other form of tape which is in strip coiled form.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a compact fiat package which contains a roll of strip material and carries a thumb-actuated cutting element that may be employed to sever desired lengths of strip material as it is pulled from the roll.

Another object of the invention i to provide an inexpensive cutter in association with a package of strip material which cutter is expendable.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a cutter in association with a roll of strip material, which materially reduces the effort in cutting rein-forced tape and at the same time enables the user to select a piece of tape of any length that he desires after which it may be cut neatly, aptly and with precision.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a tape dispenser embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing a portion of the dispenser and in particular the cutter;

FIG. 3 is an end view showing the cutter and tape as taken from line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are side elevational views taken substantially on line 44 of FIG. 2 illustrating the operation of the cutter; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cutter and severed tape.

Referring to the drawings, 10 generally designates a package for the strip material which is composed of a base plate 11 and a transparent cover 12 which is affixed to the base plate. A suitable method of forming the case is to take a base 11 from cardboard stock and heat seal a cover 12 t'hereto which cover will carry a central hub 13 about which the coil strip material 14 may be placed. In order to draw the strip material from its container, the base is slit as at 15 so that the strip material is twisted about 90 and led from the face of base plate 11 through the slit 15 underneath the base 11 and back through an aperture 16 to the face thereof again. The slit maintains the flat tape in this twisted position. This tortuous path, that i traveled by the strip material, applies friction on the tape and tends to retain the tape in a fixed position and also opens it from the spiral coil where it may be tacked together lightly.

Mounted adjacent the aperture 16 is a cutter generally designated 20 which is made into two parts. The first part is a member 21 which has a base 22 with two cars 23 and 24 arising therefrom. The ear 23 i provided with a shear plate portion 25 which is in effect an overhanging or projecting part having an edge 27 which forms a shear surface. Received between the ears 23 and 24 is a sec- 0nd part or second member 30 which is preferably formed from fiat stock with at least two discrete bends therein as at 31 and 32. The portion 33 of the second cutter member from bend point 31 to the end may be fastened as by riveting or otherwise to the base 11 and the portion 34 between the two bends 31 and 32 provides the shear 3,313,194 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 actuating section that cooperates with the shear edge 27. As will be seen, the bend 32 provides a pivot for the second cutter member in the base 22 of the first cutter member such that when a force F, F is applied a shown by the arrows in FIG. 5 on the handle portion 35 of the member 30 the second cutter member will pivot on the base 22 of the first cutter member causing a rocking action that raises the portion 34 between the bend points 31 and 32 and also the base 11 so that the edge of the second cutter member will pass by the edge 27. When tape or other strip stock is placed on the portion 34, it will be cut by a shearing action between the two surfaces 34 and 27 by a function which is well known. To enhance the action above referred to, the base 11 is preferably slotted as at 36 so that the section 37 of the base may easily be bent and raised as is shown in FIG. 5 during the cutting operation.

It will also be apparent that under some conditions the base stock 11 may not lend itself to serving as a flexible member as described and accordingly spring stock that may be metallic can be used to mount the cutter assembly. To this end therefore, the first cutter member 21 and the second cutter member 30 would each be riveted to such resilient stock, and then the entire assembly might be placed on a more rigid base. Operation-wise the mechanism would be identical to that just described.

It will be seen that one need merely pull a length of tape from the case in which the tape is stored and pass it underneath the shear portion 25, after a desired length has been pulled from the case. At this point pressure maybe applied to the end of the second cutter member 39 as shown by the arrows F in FIG. 5 and the tape will be neatly severed by the shearing action of the edge of the plate 30 and the shearing edge of the first member as at 27.

It will also be apparent that the plate member 36 is held in position between the cars 23 and 24. Thus, during the rocking action of the plate the shearing edge of the second cutter will always pass in close adjacency to the shearing edge 27 of the first cutter so that true shearing or scissoring action will take place.

The slot 36 also acts as a visual indicator so that the operator may know where to position the tape for severing.

1 claim:

1. A strip material dispenser comprising a base means for supporting a roll of strip material on said base and openings in the base through which the strip material may be passed from the face to the back and then to the face again of the base to tension the strip material and a two part cutter having one part mounted on the base and having a shear blade normal to and spaced from said base whereby stock may be fed thereunder, a second part fulcrumed relative to the first part and having a portion thereof cooperating with said shear blade to move the stock thereagainst.

2. A strip material cutter comprising a flexible base, an overhanging shear blade beneath which a strip of stock to be cut is positioned secured to said base, an actuating arm also secured to said base and fulcrumed relative to said shear blade for flexing said base and engaging the strip of stock and moving it past said shear blade during flexing of the base to sever it by a swinging action about said fulcrum.

3. A strip material dispenser comprising a case supporting a roll of strip material, a slot in the case through which the strip material may be fed, a base member connected to said case and extending beyond the case, a two part cutter having one part mounted on the base spaced from the case and having a shear blade normal to and spaced from said base with a cutting edge generally parallel to the base whereby stock may be fed thereunder, a second part fulcrumed relative to the first part about an axis generally parallel to the base and having a portion thereof cooperating with said shear blade to move the stock away from the base and against said cutting edge.

4. A strip material dispenser comprising a flexible base means for supporting a roll of strip material on said base, a two part cutter having one part mounted on the base, one cutter part having a pair of spaced ears normal to said base, one ear including said shear blade spaced from the base and the other cutter part is a plate secured at one end to said base and having a rock point intermediate its ends located between said ears and cooperating with said shear blade to move the stock thereagainst.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 984,054 2/1911 Werner 83-568 3,001,284 9/1961 Marotz 83-649 X 3,086,309 4/1963 Katz 22525 X 3,101,538 8/1963 Dewyer 83-649 FOREIGN PATENTS 10 239,328 9/1925 Great Britain.

368,741 3/1932 Great Britain. 493,300 10/1938 Great Britain.

WILLIAM W. DYER, ]R., Primary Examiner.

15 J. M. MEISTER, Assistant Examiner. 

2. A STRIP MATERIAL CUTTER COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE BASE, AN OVERHANGING SHEAR BLADE BENEATH WHICH A STRIP OF STOCK TO BE CUT IS POSITIONED SECURED TO SAID BASE, AN ACTUATING ARM ALSO SECURED TO SAID BASE AND FULCRUMED RELATIVE TO SAID SHEAR BLADE FOR FLEXING SAID BASE AND ENGAGING THE STRIP OF STOCK AND MOVING IT PAST SAID SHEAR BLADE DURING FLEXING OF THE BASE TO SEVER IT BY A SWINGING ACTION ABOUT SAID FULCRUM. 